More Than Bread

Send me a Text Message!In this episode we will hear Jesus say, "If you abide in my word, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free."  If you dwell in, and get connected to my word; if you let your soul saturate in my word, you are truly my disciples. You can't be an apprentice of Jesus if you don't live in his Word; the words of the WORD.I don't think I've noticed before how almost every chapter, John in his words or Jesus in his words and his example bring us back to the importance of the words of God. We need more than bread to thrive. We need every word that comes from the mouth of God. Right?  We need to listen, learn and lean in. It starts with listening, but if that's where it ends, we're lost.It's not enough to listen, we need to lean in!

Send me a Text Message!We live in a world filled with darkness. And into this world of darkness Jesus came. In John 8:12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." Like the worship song sings, "There is a light, his name is Jesus. He's the light of the world. But here's the amazing thing. Don't miss this thing. Of all Jesus' I am statements, six of them only apply to him. There's only one "I am" statement where Jesus says, and so are you.  He says, "I am the light of the world. And so are you." Jesus is the light of the world, and so are you!

Send me a Text Message!In this episode, I'm going to talk about the beauty of the sound of dropping stones. You will hear it, in your heart, as you listen to this episode, the sound of dropping stones. Did you know that you can recognize by a sound, whether or not you are following Jesus?  Do you know what sound you hear when you start living and  loving and becoming like Jesus?  It's the sound of stones dropping.I used to have this rock that I kept in my office. It was large enough to write on it the words, "first stone."  It was a reminder to me of the fact that I can't throw stones at people who have blown it, if I don't want stones thrown at me when I blow it.  And when I blow it, when I make those choices I wish I could undo, I so love to hear the sound of stones dropping.

Send me a Text Message!Who are your untouchables? We spent a couple of weeks at Calvary talking about being bridge-builders. I think one of the most vital gaps we need to bridge today is the gap between you and whoever your untouchables are because we still haveuntouchables today, don't we? How long has it been since you went out of your way to be around the friend who betrayed you?  Has she become untouchable? If someone invited you to go with them to do prison ministry, would you go?  Would you sit and talk, share the good news of forgiveness to a child molester? What about those on the other side of whatever political divide is your gap?See the word "judgement" goes with the word "untouchable."  In fact the greek word for judgement literally means to seperate.  To be judgmental is to seperate, divide and condemn. It's all about building walls instead of bridges. So who are your untouchables?

Send me a Text Message!This is a long one. But I think worth it. It's a conversation that I'm having with Harold Mckenzie, who recently retired from the lead pastor role at Unity Church. Pastor Mac is one of the best bridge-builders I know. He has bridged racial gaps, cultural gaps, community gaps, church gaps, and more. If you want a little mentoring on being a reconciler, a bridge-builder, I can't think of anyone better than Harold. Settle in and listen with your heart and mind open! 

Send me a Text Message!We are going to hear Jesus say (again), "If you believe in me rivers of living water will flow out from within you." I want to suggest that when rivers of living water flow out of us, we can't help but be generous with Jesus. Being generous with your time, that's cool. Being generous with your finances, I hope you are. Being generous with forgiveness, we'll be in a prison of bitterness if we don't. But what could be better than being generous with Jesus?But I'm not talking about giving something to Jesus. I'm talking about giving Jesus to others. God has an unlimited capacity to give, but we have a limited capacity to receive. God has an unlimited capacity to give us Jesus but we have a limited capacity to receive, so if want more of Jesus, we need to share Jesus with others. We need to let the rivers of living water flow. Let's be generous with Jesus!

Send me a Text Message!The Jesus Way is not just about finding something that will satisfy the dryness of my soul it's about finding something that will so fill me up that I overflow with life.  I can't help but give life away! In fact, few things get us closer to the life we want to get than giving away the life that we have. Don't we all want to get a life? That's why we're here. In fact, that's why Jesus came. In John 10:10, Jesus said, "I came so that you could have abundant life." So the Bible seems to suggest that there are different levels of life. This episode will look at a few of those different levels, but the one I'm aiming for is when I have so much life that life overflows from me into the people around me. Ask yourself, "Does my life overflow with life?"

Send me a Text Message!In John 7, we find that the people in Jesus day were really, really confused about who Jesus was, what he was doing, where he came from, and why. Was he the son of God or the son of a carpenter? Was he from Nazareth or someplace way out there? Was he an amazing teacher or a wanna-be rabbi? Most importantly was he, or could I say, "Is He the Messiah?" Is He the one? And if He is the one, is He my #1? And if not...why not?

Send me a Text Message!Jesus is more than enough. I'm not saying that he has more than enough or even that he can do more than enough. I'm saying that in and of himself, by himself, he is more than enough. He is more than enough to satisfy every hunger and give life to every hope. He is more than enough to not only forgive but help you to thrive in the midst of the hard. He is more than enough.In the gospel of John there are seven "I am" statements from Jesus. This one is "I am the bread of life." Is Jesus where you go, when you need life?

Send me a Text Message!This is another one of our Jesus-Way messages from our 50 Day apprenticing Jesus-journey. This was not an easy one. But I think it's an important one. If you already listened, a second time might not hurt. The role and mission of the bridge-builder is woven throughout scripture. It was on Jesus' heart when he called us to love each other, love our neighbors, and...even love our enemies! And there is no better, more important bridge building moment, than the cross. So I hope you find value in the message!Because our world desperately needs bridge-builders!

Send me a Text Message!In John 5, at the end of the chapter, there's a confrontation between Jesus and the religious leaders of his day. These leaders were scripture experts. They knew it. They memorized it. They carried it with them everywhere they went. They prided themselves on being scripture experts. But they were missing the glorious goal of scripture. What is the glorious goal of scripture? That's what this episode is all about. But let me simply say this,  knowledge of God was not the same as knowing God; loving the scriptures is not the same as loving God; reading God's words is not the same as listening to God. What is the glorious goal of scripture? Encountering the WORD.

Send me a Text Message!In today's episode, we will hear Jesus ask a man, what we might think is the world's dumbest question. Take it easy, I'm not saying that Jesus asked dumb questions. But at first glance, it seems like it. He asks a man who has been an invalid for 38 years, if he wants to be made well. It's a seemingly outrageous question right? Except sometimes it needs to be asked. Sometimes we've gotten used to our brokenness. We become friends with our hopelessness. It becomes part of our identity. So do you want to be made well?Perhaps it's time to say yes.

Send me a Text Message!In the last part of John 4, we find a story. I'm calling it a "seventh hour" story. It's a story of Jesus healing a man's dying son, with just a word, from long distance. The healing took place at the seventh hour. And I imagine that forever after when this family would rehearse God's faithfulness they would share their seventh hour story. A time when God came through even before they knew He came through. A time when they were given a word from Jesus and they responded. So just ask yourself, "what's my seventh hour story?" If I don't have one, perhaps it's because I haven't responded to His Word?

Send me a Text Message!Before we jump into the miracle of John 4, Jesus' second sign. I just want to make sure we understand the connection between Jesus and the Word. This connection goes beyond metaphor into the land of mystical.  It goes beyond symbolic into the land of supernatural.  There is this connection between Jesus, who is called the Word, and the Word which we call our Bible. So everytime we open this book it can be like sitting down with Jesus, no matter what page we are on.  So here's what I want you to do for just a few moments, even before you listen, I want you to picture yourself, with Jesus, wherever you would be the most at ease, walking by a stream in the forest.  Catching up over a grande coffee. And I want you to imagine, listening to, learning from and leaning into... HIS WORDS!And then you gotta listen to me. Sorry! :)

Send me a Text Message!Our teaching series at Calvary is unpacking four portraits of a Jesus-apprentice. This episode is my message on courageous leaders. When we love someone more than we love ourselves we do courageous stuff. Courage isn't the absence of fear, it's the presence of heart. And if we define leadership as bossing the best, or even accomplishing the most, we may be settling for false finish lines. Bottom line, our world today needs courageous leadership...and you, every you listening can be a courageous leader!

Send me a Text Message!John 4 contains an amazing story full of life-giving themes. It's all about soul-thirst and the hunger of our hearts to live for a worthy mission. It's all about city-revivals and turning the world upside down. It's all about worship and Jesus' mission to find people who will truly worship him.And it's all about sharing the treasure of Jesus with people living in the margins of life. Who might you share that treasure with in the coming days?

Send me a Text Message!In John 4, we find a story of something Jesus "had to do." What is your "have-to-do?" The greek word translated as "had to" is often a word that signifies a divine necessity. Perhaps it was a divine necessity for Jesus to go through Samaria. God had a divine appointment set up for Jesus with a woman in Samaria. So here's the deal. Our story is shaped by our have-to. What I have to do defines me. Jesus was defined by the have-to of Father God. The heart of the Father compelled him to compassion and because of love, he had to share the gospel, the good news. So ask yourself, "What is my have-to?"

Send me a Text Message!Jackie Hill Perry says this about Jesus, “He is so much greater than the greatest thing and so much more glorious than the most glorious glory the eyes could see. Knowing this, He becomes the aim of all our doing.” He is so much greater. As we finish up John 3, the words give us an opportunity to simply ponder the greatness of Jesus and ask (and maybe even answer) the question, "Jesus are you the one?"Because if the answer is yes. I can't think of a more important question to answer. Because if he really is the one, if he really is who he claimed to be, then he is the single most significant person who ever lived (and still lives)! He is preeminent in everything.

Send me a Text Message!John 3:16 is probably the most famous verse in scripture. And not only is it famous, it's great! It gives a one-sentence tweetable summary of the good news that leads to a great life on the Jesus way. It's the beginning of our journey on the way of Jesus, the very beginning. And what is at the beginning? God's love. Like I said in the last episode, "you are God's beloved masterpiece." And few short verses describe the love part of beloved masterpiece, than John 3:16.You are relentlessly pursued by a lavishly gracious God who is all-in on you. And just so  you don't miss it. You aren't the only one. In fact, you probably have an enemy or two, who is loved like that by God, as well. I needed to hear that! Who knows what you might discover in this greatest, most famous verse?

Send me a Text Message!As we journey on the Jesus-Way, we are going to unpack four different portraits of a Jesus-apprentice. A Jesus-Apprentice is a Beloved Masterpiece, a Courageous Leader, a Bridge-Builder, man our country needs bridge-builders today and an apprentice of Jesus is a front-yard missionary. Those last three, courageous leader,  bridge-builder and front-yard missionary, there's a lot of doing in those right? And the Jesus-way definitely involves an all-in doing. But beloved masterpiece, that's a bit more about being...not just what we do, but who we are. And do you understand that who we are is all wrapped up in what God is doing.You are God's beloved masterpiece! A unique creation loved passionately and persistantly by a God who is all-in on you!

Send me a Text Message!In John 3, a man comes to Jesus looking for something more. He sensed in his spirit that Jesus might show him the way to something more. But Jesus' words confused him just a bit. Jesus said, if you want something more, "You must be born again." What in the world does that mean? It means that in Jesus, God offers us something more that's so radically different that it's like being born all over again; like starting over and being delivered into a whole new world, for a whole new life. It's not just more of the same old, same old. It's not just like before only better. It's not cosmetic or marginal; you are on your way to a breathtaking,  supernatural, eternally new life. Are you looking for something more?

Send me a Text Message!Here's a principle of joy on the Jesus-Way, it's so key. If we want joy, if we want tolive our one and only life overflowing with joy, don't miss this principle. It's found in the first of Jesus' miraculous signs; turning water into wine. Here's the principle. When the wine runs dry and you come to Jesus looking for joy, we can ask for anything as long as we are willing to surrender everything.Mary told the servants, "Just do whatever he tells you to do." Are you willing to do whatever he asks? This is an issue of surrender. Am I willing to surrender control? When we ask for a miracle we honor God's hand by the size of our request, but we honor his heart by our willingness to do whatever he asks. That's how we find joy on the Jesus-Way! 

Send me a Text Message!Jon Ortberg writes, "God is the happiest being in the universe."  God also knows     sorrow, but the sorrow of God is a temporary response to a fallen world. The sorrow will be banished when the world is set right. Joy is God's basic character. Joy is God's eternal destiny. God is the happiest being in the universe." Perhaps few things are more essential for the life we long to live than the essential of joy.  An unexplainable, uncontainable, contagious and outrageously overflowing joy that doesn't require a changing of my circumstances, or a looking away from pain. It's a joy that comes in spite of the hard.So perhaps throughout this episode and after it, our simple prayer would be "God give me that joy, overflowing joy!"

Send me a Text Message!At the heart of every Jesus apprentice is a growing passion for Jesus. A growing certainty that there is none greater than Jesus. A Jesus apprentice, ultimately lives like everything is worth-less than knowing Jesus. Anything that comes between Jesus and me is a loss. No matter what it takes, I want to know Jesus. So ask yourself, "What's keeping me from following Jesus with all my heart?" As I will share in this episode, sometimes what we treasure most about ourselves is the very thing that's keeping us from the Jesus Way.So I want to invite you to come and see...

Send me a Text Message!Don't miss this one! It's a bit different because this last week was our CWOW Sunday and snowmegaddon! I know she's my wife, but Lynn has an amazing and authentic relationship with Jesus and in her conversation with Pastor Stacy, she shares about what that relationship "conversational intimacy" looks like. It's a bit different than my regular episodes, not a lot of scripture, not a lot of me, but a lot of Holy Spirit inspired story of a life lived, chasing after Jesus.Listen all the way through, the end is pretty powerful!

Send me a Text Message!As I was working on this episode, I couldn't get a song out of my head. It's a simple song that I learned in church as a kid. "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine..." In John 1 we find that Jesus is not only the Word of God, He is the light of the world. And when His light shine the darkness cannot win. But if you can get past the grand metaphors and visions of light battling darkness, at the heart of John 1 is a messy love story. In the midst of our darkness and our mess, he relentlessly pursues you. Even as you walk the Jesus way, His heart is relentlessly pursuing you.

Send me a Text Message!  Ask yourself this question, "Whose words do I love? Who gets my ears?" I can't love Jesus' words if I'm never in His Word (the Bible). So how much of it have I read? How often did I read it this week? Do I treasure it? Do his words saturate my soul? Do I let His Words convict me? Guide me? Here's the deal, I can't be an apprentice of Jesus if I never listen to the word. In other words, the first step is as simple as, open the book. This may take a little planning. The good news is that God will meet you wherever you are at, whatever your plan. But you have to open the book. It's hard to walk in His ways, if I don't listen for His voice! 

Send me a Text Message!I don't actually say those three words often in this episode. In fact maybe I don't say them ever. But as you listen to me describe the way of Jesus that we find in John's gospel. I hope you hear those three words over and over again, "You are invited." You are invited to follow Jesus. You are invited to become more like Jesus and do more like Jesus. You are invited to be with Jesus. You are invited on this journey of the Jesus way. You are invited by me, but more importantly we are invited by Jesus!I hope you join us!

Send me a Text Message!The Gospel of John is a masterclass in the Jesus way. It is not just a record of what Jesus did, but an invitation into how Jesus lived, loved, related, discerned, and moved through the world. If the other Gospels give us the story of Jesus, John opens a door into the inner life of Jesus—so that anyone who reads it can learn to live from the same center, with the same Father, in the same Spirit, for the same purposes. For this journey, think of John as an apprenticeship manual disguised as a story. And we start with the question, "What is my most urgent hunger?"

Send me a Text Message!Today at Calvary we started a new series, a 50-Day Journey called "The Jesus Way." There's even a devotional guide that goes with it. If you aren't a part of Calvary, you can download it online at https://www.calvarycwow.org/resources -- This is the first message in the series and in-between messages, I'm going to do something in the gospels. For the next 50+ days it's all about Jesus and the Jesus way.

Send me a Text Message!Our God is able to do immeasureably more than anything we could ever ask for or imagine. And not only is He able to do it, I believe He is doing it. So I'm asking for more. With the open heaven's all around us, I'm asking Him for more. I'm asking Him to do more than I can imagine. I want to be part of a move of God that makes it impossible to stay seated when the opportunity comes to give God a standing ovation.This episode will ask you to join me, because our God is beyond beyond. He is able to do infinitely and immeasureably and exceedingly abundantly beyond every bit of more you could ever ask for. If we could get beyond what we can imagine...He'sstill beyond that. Our God is beyond beyond!

Send me a Text Message!What does it take for us to persevere, to be a people who never give up? I think Paul would say that it takes a connection, a connection to Jesus and a connection to people. And he would say that it takes prayer, all-prayer. Pray at all times with all kinds of prayer for all people with all perserverance. Don't give up praying and when we pray together, there's even more strength for the battle. So in the darkness, in the battle don't give up, stand up! Stand up together. Stand up in prayer, in the end light wins!

Send me a Text Message!The apostle Paul is writing his friends to help them when they encounter darkness and in a way the first thing he says is this: If darkness is near, heaven isn't far. Dark times are often isolating times. When we go through dark times we begin to believe we are not only alone, but we are far from God. But don't miss God's words, in Paul's words, "Be strong in the Lord." Even while we are in the Lord, while we are in Christ, the darkness comes, but when it comes, His strength is close. Listen, if you find yourself in the midst of a dark time, right now, that doesn't mean that heaven is far from you. In fact it may mean that heaven is closer than you can imagine.  

Send me a Text Message!Here is the statement I want to start with so that it saturates you heart, mind and soul for the next 20 minutes or so. The grace God has given you is not just for you. It's His grace and He's asking us to steward His grace. The grace He gives you is not just for, it's for someone else. The question is who? Because there is nothing more amazing than being a conduit of His grace. Are you a steward of grace?

Send me a Text Message!Taking a Monday break by posting last weekend's message from Calvary is becoming a habit. But, this one matters to me. Not that other messages don't matter, but this one gave me a sense of hope and expectancy as I worked on it...and a sense of conviction as I spoke it. With all my heart I believe God is inviting us to a year of unforgettable walks. I'm asking you to join us! Ask God for more!

Send me a Text Message!For 1000's of years Satan has been thumming his nose at God, rejecting and ridiculing the wisdom and the grace of God. But when the grace of God flows (to us and through us) the wisdom of God is made known. Grace has a Cosmic effect. The importance of the church is that it's not just a place where worship services take place, it's a people through whom the purposes of God are fufilled.In the heavenly places, where heaven meets earth, we become the "see I told you" of God. His amazing grace is on display in us, in the heavenly places.

Send me a Text Message!You have a seat at the table, in the heavenlies, with Christ. We've all heard that phrase before, "a seat at the table." We're looking for a seat at the table. When it's used in an organization, it's about having a place, having a voice. Usually when we say we want a seat at the table, it's because we feel we deserve a part; we deserve to be heard, to lead. We want a seat at the table. This is not that kind of seat. This is not the kind of seat we earn. This is more like the seat that would have been empty at Lazarus' house but now is filled because of resurrection. It's a seat like the one Mary sat in while Martha worried and labored over having things in her home just right. Mary sat at Jesus feet to just listen to his words. It's a seat where Jesus says, "Come here, slow down, be still for a bit. Just sit... here with me... I've got a seat for you at my table."   

Send me a Text Message!Ephesians 2 is a tough passage of scripture. But it also contains one of the greatest transformation stories of all time. I was a nobody. I was dead, doomed and  damned -- but God --. Oh, how I love those two words, "but God." Later on you should circle those words, highlight them, underline them in your Bible.  "I was dead, doomed and damned but God, is so rich in mercy. Those words are the turning point of my story and yours. They mark the point where God turned my story into His-story. I love the "but" of God!

Send me a Text Message!I love what Paul Miller writes in his book, "A Praying Life." He writes, "If you are not praying, then you are quietly confident that time, money, and talent are all you need in life. You'll always be a little too tired, a little too busy. But, if like Jesus you realize you can't do life on your own, then no matter how busy, no matter how tiredyou are, you will find the time to pray." In other words, if I know I need help, I will pray. And perhaps the best words of prayer to start with are...God, I need help...

Send me a Text Message!How well do I know God? If there was one and only one question we should ask ourselves as we start a new year...it would be, "How well do I know him?" Jesus once was overheard praying, he said, "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." (John 17:3) How well do I know God? Moses spoke with God like a man does with his friend, and yet he cried out to know more of God. Paul said, nothing matters to me more than knowing Christ. I want to know Christ. Maggie Ross described the start of spiritual life as beginning to understand that the feeling of emptiness is really an indication of our hunger for God. In other words, every need you have experienced is a reminder that what I need more than anything... is to know God. How well do I know God?

Send me a Text Message!In his book "The Prayer of Jabez" Bruce Wilkinson writes, "To bless in the Biblical sense means to ask for or to impart supernatural favor.  When we ask for God's Blessing, we're not asking for more of what we could get for ourselves. We're crying out for the wonderful, unlimited goodness that only God has the power to give us." I think the problem is that somewhere along the way, we quit believing that God's blessing matters, or maybe we quit believing that God really wants to bless us. But let me tell you God's all-in on your blessing! 

Send me a Text Message!In this episode, you will hear Jesus ask a question, that on first hearing, you may be tempted to think, "That's the dumbest question I've ever heard." He walks up to one broken man lying in the midst of hundreds of broken people. They're all laying around a pool because of a legend that when the pool bubbled, the first one in would be healed. Jesus walks up to this man who has laid poolside for over three decades and Jesus asks, "Do you want to be made well?"But of course, it's not really a dumb question. It's the question, we probably all need to answer. Do you want to be made well and... do you trust Jesus to do it? 

Send me a Text Message!In Malachi 3, I believe Malachi, or rather God through Malachi, is trying to tell us that generosity ushers in heaven on earth, that generous people are the people who unwrap heaven.  So in this episode I'll dare you to take a NY's dare to be more generous than you ever thought possible. And actually it's not my dare.  It's God's.  "I dare you to test me." God says. "I dare you to try to outgive me. Care for the poor in your midst and in your circle.  See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and give you a New Year filled with heaven all year long."Perhaps this is how we return to God and live under open-heavens!  

Send me a Text Message!There is a light that shines in the darkness and in the end, Christmas wins. In the days after Christmas there there's still darkness and we will still need light. We need the light of hope for the darkness of difficulty. Difficulty didn't take a break over the holidays. We need the light of hope. We need the light of generosity for the darkness of selfishness.  Christmas scratches the itch of grace deep within us. It gives us a chance to counteract that selfish streak we hate in ourselves. And what if, rather than being a holiday, here and then  gone, Christmas was a holy day that is meant to ignite a light that burns through a year of days? What if the Christmas lights are simply a metaphor of an unseen reality that the light of heaven has now invaded  our world and all the darkness of the world cannot stand against the glory of that light?What if Christmas is a reminder of the wonder that heaven is now in our midst? What if heaven is here?

Send me a Text Message!For the last episode of Come Lord Jesus, I just want to offer this post-Christmas question. What if Jesus had never come? What if it never happened? What if all we have for Christmas is Santa, elves, and the naughty-nice list. What if there was no Christ in Christmas? What if there were no ripples of heaven on earth that continued to this day?What if Jesus never came?

Send me a Text Message!DON'T LISTEN TO THIS -- If you are going to Christmas Eve services at Calvary Harvest Fields. :) It's not exactly the same, but similar!But if you aren't going to Christmas Eve services at Calvary, I hope that this episode encourages you with the Christmas truth that Jesus is on a mission to bring you home for Christmas!

Send me a Text Message!In this episode, we are going to talk about favor. That's an interesting word isn't it? Favor. It's used multiple times in the Christmas stories. When we think of the word favor, it's usually used in a sentence like this, "Hey would you do me a favor?" When we ask someone to do us a favor we're saying, "You don't owe me. I don't necessarily deserve this, haven't earned it, but I'm wondering if you would do it anyway. Do me a favor." Often that's the question behind our prayers is, "God would you please do me a favor." The Dictionary suggests that favor is kindness beyond what is due or usual. It makes me think that perhaps the a good two word description of Christmas is "God's Favor." As we take a peak at Mary the mother of Jesus, we can pray, "God would you do me a favor?" 

Send me a Text Message!In the end light wins, darkness loses. Why? Because we have Jesus.He is our Unwavering Certainty in the midst of uncertainty. He is our Sacrificial Savior who covers us in his love when we are prone to fear. He's our Overflowing  Abundance when scarcity whispers,  "Protect what is yours, there's not enough to go around." He is our Almighty King, our Righteous Redeemer and in the end He will be the one still standing and we will see Him with our own eyes and when we see Him, what was lost will be found and what was broken will be redeemed, the darkness will be no more and we will celebrate Christmas, like we have never celebrated before...Christmas is an epic, fear-not story, and you are invited to join the story!

Send me a Text Message!The angels said to the shepherds, "For a savior has been born to you..." That to you was just for them, it includes us. Listen to me, the glory of Christmas is not that  God was born in a mess without a family, it's that He welcomes messy people into his family. This is Jesus' trademark. He wasn't born in a gated community or a palace with guards. He was born to us and there is no us that is not welcome to come home. Messy people have been drawn to Jesus for thousands of years, and  He's been drawn to them. And because of that...your best Christmas is yet to come!

Send me a Text Message!I love the iconic manger images of little baby Jesus, but I have to be honest, it's full-grown Jesus with whom I want to be side-by-side. It's the one who stilled the storm, fed the crowd, healed the outcasts and noticed those in the margins of life. It's the one who could gather a crowd but loved you one-on-one. It's the one whoriled up the religious leaders, confused the politicians, scared the hell out of Satan, and loved his enemies all the way to the cross. It's his steps I want to follow. Grown-up Jesus. In this Cosmic Christmas battle, we need more than a baby. We need a King! And that's what we have and because of our King, in the end Christmas wins!

Send me a Text Message!Revelation 12 does not describe a merry, little Christmas. Christmas is a holy war, a cosmic battle for the glory of God, with a vicious villian. Like Frodo and his fellowship against Sauron in the Lord of the Rings, or Iron Man against Thanos, even Little Red Riding Hood against the Big Bad Wolf. A cosmic battle agnst the hosts of darkness. We live in a culture that sees evil as a disease, a pyschological sickness, but the Bible describes evil as personal, malicious and dangerous.That first Christmas led to war in heaven. Christmas is a cosmic invasion in the epic battle between God and evil; between darkness and light. And guess who wins?